


Operation: Match Maker

by Rui_The_Galax_Angel



Series: Persona 5 One Shots [7]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 10:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19766620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rui_The_Galax_Angel/pseuds/Rui_The_Galax_Angel
Summary: After figuring out that Ren and Shiho have crushes on each other, Ann makes it her mission to hook them up.





	Operation: Match Maker

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea I had after a conversation with a friend about how much we love Shiho, how much we wished she could be a romance route or y'know a confidant in general, and how we think Ren and Shiho would make a pretty good couple.  
> This is my first time writing for a rare pair, so I'm sorry if it's not very good.  
> I hope you guys enjoy it!

"So, you finally decided to show up, huh?" Ann joked with a smirk as she crossed her arms. Her best friend glanced over in the direction the blonde was looking to find the raven haired boy they were meeting up with running towards them.

"I'm so sorry! The guy I was helping at work just kept. Changing. His. Fucking. Mind. It should not take someone 45 minutes to pick three different flowers for a bouquet, right?" Ren apologised while waving 'hello' to the two girls.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Good job on dealing with the guy, though." Shiho reassured him.

"Thanks... I swear I had to resist the urge to just throw the flowers in his face... 'I think roses would work. Oh no, wait, roses are way too cliche. Perhaps lilies? Oh no, no, she has a cat. Lily pollen is toxic to cats, isn't it? Maybe orchids? No... No, no, those're too tropical... Hmm, do you perhaps have any cherry blossoms?' Just fucking pick already! Goddamn..." Ren vented, finally allowed to release his pent up irritation.

"I dread to think what dates with him would be like..." Ann sighed.

"His girlfriend would be lucky if they actually got any food on their date, since he'd probably take two hours to pick a starter." Shiho giggled. Ren and Ann huffed tiredly at that thought as the trio began walking through the underground mall.

"So, what flowers did he end up choosing?" asked Ann, genuinely curious after hearing about this indecisive man.

"Roses, tulips, and daisies." Ren replied with an annoyed groan.

"...You mean, three of the most standard flowers?" Shiho asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" Ren cried in exasperation. "God, I hope I never have to deal with him again..."

"At least, you can relax now." Shiho pointed out with a sweet smile.

"Yep! Now, let's go shopping and then eat!" Ann cheered.

The trio had meeting up a lot recently. Shiho mentioned during one of Ann's visits that she wanted to get to know Ren better. She knew that Ren, Ryuji and Mishima had confronted Kamoshida after her jump, so she thanked all three of them for standing up for her. However, she knew both Ryuji and Mishima from middle school, but she had only briefly interacted with Ren a handful of times. After telling Ann about this, the blonde best friend arranged for the three of them to meet up. Their meetups had become a frequent thing now, well, whenever Ren and Ann weren't busy with Phantom Thief business, at least. It turned out that Ren and Shiho got along really well. Although that didn't really surprise Ann, they were quite similar in her eyes: Initially quiet and withdrawn but sassy and cheeky as hell once you get to know them.

"So, Ann, how's the modelling been going lately?" Ren asked in an attempt to start a conversation.

"Pretty good! Mika and I still fight a bit, but I think we're slowly starting to become friends... I think. I'm not completely sure..." She admitted with an awkward chuckle.

"Maybe you should invite her out to a cake shop or something so you can bond?" Shiho suggested sarcastically. Ann just stared at her in disbelief.

"You can be evil sometimes, y'know that?" Ren said, raising an eyebrow. Shiho just flashed him a smug smirk. Ann just sighed and shook her head before being distracted by her stomach growling loudly.

"Uhhhhh, hehe, how about we forget about shopping for today and just get some food?" She suggested with an awkward giggle.

"Fiiiiiine... If you want, should we go back to Leblanc? I'll make coffee and curry for you." Ren offered politely.

"Oooh, that sounds perfect!" Ann cheered with an excited grin.

"Ann's told me a lot about Leblanc, but I didn't know you helped out there. Thank you so much, Ren, it's so sweet of you to offer." Shiho softly thanked him with a smile.

"I-I-It's nothing, really. My treat." Ren responded, shyly scratching his cheek.

'Huh? That was weird... Ren doesn't usually stutter...' Ann thought, noticing her friend's out of ordinary behaviour.

"Well, ladies first. Oh, hey, Shiho, how do you like your coffee?" Ren spoke as he gestured for the ladies to walk ahead.

"Hmmm, I dunno... I've never really drank coffee before... Well, I mean, any coffee besides instant coffee." Shiho explained. Ren nodded thoughtfully before discussing differences between certain coffee beans and asking if Shiho would prefer sweeter flavours.

'Maybe I'm overthinking things?' Ann wondered as she jogged to catch up with her two raven haired friends.

Sojiro was quite happy to help out after seeing the three teens wander through the cafe door. He offered to make the curry while Ren made the coffee. The group were happily chatting away until Sojiro's phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. The bearded man quickly checked it before slipping the phone back into his pocket and pulling off his apron.

"Oh, Ren? Do you mind keeping an eye on the curry while I go check on Futaba? It should be done in a couple of minutes." He asked, stepping toward the door.

"Sure, what's wrong with Futaba?" Ren agreed with a concerned expression.

"No idea. She just said she needs to talk to me about something." Sojiro huffed before exiting the cafe.

"Who's Futaba?" Shiho asked, tilting her head.

"She's Boss' daughter, a friend of ours." Ann informed her.

"She's my little sister." Ren added as he poured the coffee into three cups.

"I thought you were an only child?" Shiho remarked.

"They're not related at all, they just act like siblings." Ann explained with a sigh.

"Hey, a family can be a tired coffee dad, a nerdy delinquent, a socially awkward otaku, and a sassy cat, I'll have you know." Ren snapped back, carefully handing two cups of coffee to the girls before walking towards the pot of curry.

"Can't argue with that logic." Ann said with a shrug. Shiho giggled quietly as she picked up her cup. She daintily blew on her coffee to cool it down.

"Hey, what size plate of curry do you two want?" Ren enquired, opening up a cupboard.

"Extra large!" Ann declared cheerfully.

"What a shock." Ren joked in a monotone voice. Ann just threw her spare hairband at him.

"I'll have a large plate, please." Shiho requested.

"Shiho, I keep telling you, there's really no need to be so formal. I mean, look at me, Ann and Ryuji - We greet each other with insults. I really don't care about manners. It's cool." Ren huffed softly with a smirk as he pulled out three plates.

"O-Oh, right! Sorry..." Shiho mumbled apologetically.

"It's all good. Don't worry about it." Ren reassured as he scooped curry and rice onto the plates.

"Enjoy." He said, placing the plates in front of the two girls.

"Thank you~" The duo cheered. Ann happily dug in, while Shiho finally took the first sip of her coffee.

"Mmm! This is delicious!" She exclaimed, quickly taking another sip.

"I'm glad you like it." Ren smiled as he placed his own coffee and curry next to Shiho before positioning himself behind the counter, ready to deal with any new customers.

"Seriously! It's really good! You're really talented, you know that? If my mum were here, she'd probably make one of her cheesy 'you'll make an excellent husband one day' comments." Shiho giggled excitedly.

"T-Thanks... That's really sweet of you..." Ren mumbled as he bashfully fiddling with a tuft of his hair.

"Hmmmmm..." Ann hummed suspiciously as she could have sworn she saw Ren's cheeks turn pink.

"Is something wrong, Ann?" Shiho asked with a worried glance.

"Oh! No, I was just.... Uhhhhhh... Wondering what spices were in the curry!" Ann awkwardly came up with an excuse after noticing the two black haired friends staring at her.

"Uuuuuhhhhhhhh? Okay, then? I don't know, Sojiro made it, so you'll have to ask him." Ren answered, clearly baffled by Ann's comment. Shiho just turned her attention back to her meal, happily munching on her curry.

"Aren't you going to eat, Ren?" She asked.

"Nah, not yet. I'm not supposed to eat while I'm behind the counter." Ren replied, keeping an eye on the door. Just as he finished his sentence, Sojiro walked back into the cafe, chuckling quietly to himself.

"Thanks, kid. You can eat with your friends now." Sojiro thanked him, putting his apron back on.

"Is Futaba alright?" Ren asked as he sat himself down and took a large sip of his coffee. Sojiro began chuckling again. The three teenagers looked at him in confusion as the bearded man pulled out his phone.

"So, apparently Morgana was being nosy and managed to- Heh... knock my hair gel off the shelf..." Sojiro chuckled before showing the teens a photo. It was of Futaba and Morgana. There was hair gel all over the floor while Futaba, who was laughing so hard that her face was bright red, was holding Morgana. His fur was sticking up all over the place and shiny. It seemed that Futaba also had the bright idea to give Morgana a mohawk. Morgana seemed to be thoroughly unimpressed. All three teenagers burst out laughing.

"O-Oh my god... I need Futaba to send me that pic!" Ren gasped, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"T-Tell her to post it in the group chat so we can all get it!" Ann yelled, smacking Ren's shoulder urgently.

"Ann, you genius! Ryuji is gonna love this!" Ren giggled as he began typing. Sojiro just watched as the trio laughed amongst themselves and smiled softly to himself before turning his attention back to his pot of curry.

"Well, sorry guys, but I need to go now... I've got a check up at the doctor's in about an hour..." Shiho sighed as she pushed herself up off her seat.

"Thank you for the coffee and curry. They were delicious!" She thanked Ren and Sojiro with a big smile.

"Heh, no problem. Feel free to come again." Sojiro replied with a soft smirk as he cleaned up the plates.

"I'm glad you liked them." Ren remarked cheerfully.

"It was great seeing you, though!" Ann said, wrapping her arms around Shiho and pulling her into a loving hug.

"Yeah, you too!" Shiho giggled as the two girls pulled away before turning and giving Ren a hug. The raven haired boy only wrapped one arm around Shiho and made sure that he kept his hand close to her shoulder.

"Do you want either of us to go with you?" He offered as he pulled away.

"No, it's fine. I'm meeting up with my dad in Shibuya and he's gonna drive me the rest of the way. Thanks for the offer, though." Shiho politely declined, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Well, okay, if you're sure." Ann sighed quietly.

"I'm sure. Well, I'll see you guys whenever. Bye!" Shiho called out as she stepped through the cafe door, waving at her friends.

"Bye!" Ren and Ann called back as the door closed and the sound of the bell jingling. Ann kept thinking about their earlier conversations and finally decided to question Ren on it.

"Hey, Ren, can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" Ren hummed as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Do you have a crush on Shiho?"

Ren quickly started choking on his coffee. Sojiro pretended that he wasn't paying attention and started making a fresh pot of curry.

"W-W-What makes you think that?" Ren giggled anxiously, his face flushed a bright red.

"Nothing much. Just that whenever she compliments you, you get all jittery and start blushing and stuttering." Ann nonchalantly remarked. Ren didn't say anything. He just pouted bashfully and looked down at the floor. The pigtailed girl just crossed her arms and smiled to herself.

"Why don't you do anything then?" She asked him.

"Huh?" Ren looked back up at his blonde friend.

"Why don't you tell her?" Ann rephrased her question.

"I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable or anything..." Ren mumbled, tapping his coffee cup.

"How do you mean?" Ann asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean... She's been through stuff no one should go through... I honestly wouldn't blame her if she didn't want anything to do with guys after that. And to be honest, I'd be fine with just staying friends if it meant that she felt safe and comfortable around me..." Ren admitted, staring down at the floor again with a troubled frown.

'Oh my god, he's perfect for her.' Ann thought to herself, but didn't that show.

"Well, I sure hope so! Especially since you know what I would do to you if you ever dared to hurt her!" She joked, flashing an intimidating smile at the raven haired boy.

"Yyyyyyyyup." Ren replied. He knew. He could still remember what Ann did to Kamoshida's shadow. He couldn't help but smirk when he thought back to beating up Shadow Kamoshida. That was satisfying. Ann snickered as she twirled her hair around her finger.

"I should probably get going now... I've got a modelling gig in a few hours and they like us to be there early, just in case there are any problems they need to sort out." Ann huffed, picking her bag up off the floor.

"Lemme me guess, it's another photoshoot with Mika?" Ren asked, happy that the topic of conversation had changed.

"How could you tell?" Ann sarcastically answered. Ren chuckled softly.

"Well, I'm gonna head out, Byyeee!" Ann called out as she wandered towards the door.

"Good luck!" Ren called after her. Sojiro couldn't help but laugh to himself as he heard Ren slam his head into the counter and let out an embarrassed groan.

"So-"

"Please don't."

Ann collapsed onto her bed with an exhausted huff. The modelling gig ended up taking a lot longer than everyone had expected and then when she was able to go home, it happened to be packed in the subway. She stretched her leg in an attempt to get rid of a cramp she'd had for hours.

"Ann-chan! Don't forget you've got homework due in on Wednesday! I'm not saying to do it now, but just make sure not to leave it till the last minute!" Her caretaker called out from the outside of Ann's bedroom.

"Okay! I'll do it tomorrow, I'm way too tired to do it now..." Ann replied, rolling over and flopping onto her stomach.

"I made some cupcakes earlier today! You want some to perk yourself up a little?" The caretaker called back.

"Ooh! Yes please!" Ann squealed excitedly.

"I'll sort them out once I've finished with the laundry, then." The caretaker giggled as she walked off.

"Thank you!" The pigtailed girl called back. As she laid there, her mind wandered back to her conversation with Ren. Now that she thought about it, she'd had a sneaking suspicion that Shiho liked Ren too. She just always seemed to be a lot chattier around him than most other people. Plus, she'd ask about him a lot. Ann used to think that it was just because she was thankful for him sticking up for her to Kamoshida, but after they started hanging out with Ren... Yeah, she started to think it was probably a bit more than that.

Although, now that Ann really thought about it, both her raven haired friends seemed to be quite oblivious when it came to stuff like that. Her mind instantly reminded her of one time at school. A girl clearly bumped into Ren in order to get him to pick up her papers and deliberately put her hand on top of his but played it all off as an accident... And Ren completely fell for it. When Ryuji pointed out that the girl was blushing the entire time, Ren's response was 'She was probably just embarrassed about dropping all her stuff'. Ann just grunted and shook her head as she remembered that ridiculous situation.

  
'If only they could figure it out and go on a date...' She wistfully thought. That's when an idea hit her. She smirked as she pulled out her phone and began scrolling through her group chats:

[ **Phantom Thieves** :  
Members - Joker, Skull, Panther, Fox, Queen, Oracle, Noir]

[ **Totally Not Shady Kids** :  
Members - Ren, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru]

[ **The Dumbass Squad** :  
Members - FluffyThiefBoi, AngeryPunkBoi, HungryPrettyGirl]

[ **Beauty Thieves (Lol sorry Haru):**  
Members - GimmeCupcakes, Buchimaru<3, Kek, PleaseChangeTheChatName]

[ **Fuck You Kamoshida** :  
Members - RenRen, FeedMeRamen, GimmeCupcakes, MishiMishi, Pure&PerfectAngel]

[ **Futaba Sakura, Your Local Computer Saviour:**  
Members - StopHackingMyPhone, RIPMyLaptop, HowDoIDigitalArt, YourResidentGuardianAngel, ICantTechnology]

[ **The Gorgeous Trio** :  
Members - AnnThePrettyOne, ShihoTheCuteOne, RenTheHandsomeOne]

She clicked on 'The Gorgeous Trio' and instantly began typing.

[ **AnnThePrettyOne** : Hey guys, I had fun today! It's a shame we had to cut it short... :'(]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** Ikr? Was hoping to hang for a lil longer tbh]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** I'm sorry for having to leave so soon...]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** Hey, it's not a problem]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** Never apologise for looking after yourself]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** Health is important kids]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** ^^^^]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** Haha, thanks ^_^]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** Anyways, we should meet up again next week!]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** Does next Sunday work for you guys????]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** Hang on]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** Sure thing, I'll have to finish all my homework the day before tho]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** Will that be a problem?]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** Shouldn't be. I don't get ridiculous amounts of homework.]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** Luckyyyyy.... -3-]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** ;P]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** >:U]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** Okay, so I checked my schedule and I'm free on Sunday]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** So, yeah, I'm cool with hanging out]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** Where should we meet up?]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** Central Street?]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** Sounds good!]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** Usual time?]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** Yep!]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** But of course!]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** Awesome! I'll see you two then!]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** Sure thing! Shiho, see you Sunday. Ann, see you at school tomorrow!]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** Kk! It's a date!]

Ann smirked deviously and giggled to herself as she placed her phone down and flung herself off her bed, scheming to herself as she went to grab herself some cupcakes.

Ann was hid in the alleyway that lead to Untouchables, keeping an eye out for her two raven haired friends. Ren had already turned up and was leaning on a wall, checking his phone as he waited.

"Hey!" A soft voice called out, catching the attention of both teenagers. Shiho came running up, waving at Ren. She gasped for breath as she slowed to a halt in front of Ren.

"Whoa, you okay?" Ren asked worriedly, bending down to check on Shiho.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine... I just... I just ran here from the train station... That's all..." She puffed out. Ren handed her a bottle of water that he had bought a few minutes ago but hadn't had a chance to open yet. Shiho tiredly thanked him before gulping the water down. After finally catching her breath, she spoke up again.

"I'm so sorry for being late... An old woman fell over at the train platform and everyone else just walked past her and I couldn't just leave her..."

"It's fine, don't worry about it! Sadly, that doesn't surprise me... People are just assholes. But hey, I'm sure you made her day by helping her." Ren reassured her with a sweet smile. Shiho smiled back and blushed lightly.

"Besides, it's not like you're ridiculously late. Ann still hasn't shown up." The boy continued, shoving his hands into his pocket.

"Huh. That's weird... She's usually the first one here..." Shiho remarked thoughtfully.

"Yeah... What time is it, anyway?" Ren asked, pulling his phone out. "Oh damn, it's already been fifteen minutes!"

"Ann's never this late..." Shiho mutteredly, biting her nails worriedly.

'It's showtime' Ann thought with a smirk from her hiding spot, whipping out her phone.

 **[Ann:** Hey Shiho... Im really sorry but I won't be able to come today... Ive been throwing up since early this morning X( So yeah itll have to just you and Ren today... Why don't you guys go to Miel et Crepes for lunch or something? Sorry again. Have fun]

She hit send and grinned deviously as she heard Shiho's phone ping.

"Oh, it's from Ann!" She commented in surprise. She went silent as she read the message.

"Oh."

"What'd she say?" asked Ren.

"She said she couldn't come. She's been throwing up all morning and said to go to Miel et Crépes for lunch." Shiho relayed the information as she typed a reply to Ann's message.

 **[Shiho:** No problem, Ann! Feel better as soon as possible! <3 xx]

"Oh damn, that sucks... I hope she isn't feeling too bad..." Ren muttered as he pulled out his own phone and sending a message to Ann.

 **[Ren:** Hey Ann, Shiho told me what was up. No worries, it's not your fault, just focus on getting better, k? <3]

The sincerity of their messages honestly made Ann feel a little bad for lying to them... But, she was doing this to help them get together, so she would just have to deal with it.

"Well then, uh, should we get going?" Ren asked, clearly feeling a little awkward being alone with Shiho.

"Sure, sounds good." Shiho replied with a smile.

"After you, then." Ren politely offered, gesturing for Shiho to go first.

"Thank you." Shiho politely responded.

'Perfect!' Ann snickered to herself as she began scampering after the duo, being careful to stay hidden.

"Y'know, I haven't come to this cafe very often, but it's very nice, isn't it?" Shiho commented cheerfully as she scanned her eyes around the cafe.

"Yeah. It's got a nice atmosphere... Like, it's just a cheerful, homely feeling?" Ren replied, having difficulty putting it into words.

"Yeah! That's it!" Shiho agreed. Neither of the pair noticed Ann sitting at a nearby table. She had put her hair into a bun and hidden it under her hoodie. It was a good thing that the weather was cold, otherwise people would've gotten suspicious. As she watched, the waitress came over to the black haired pair's table to deliver their food.

"One large strawberries and double cream crépe with extra chocolate sauce and sprinkles, one strawberry milkshake, and one hot chocolate!" She announced as she carefully placed the items down on the table. Shiho pulled her crépe and milkshake, while Ren picked up his mug of hot chocolate.

"Thank you." The duo thanked her in unison.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to have any cream or marshmallows with your hot chocolate, sir?" The waitress checked.

"No, thank you. It's fine." Ren politely declined.

"Alright, then. Enjoy your meal!" She cheerfully called as she made her way back towards the kitchen.

"Are you sure that's all you want?" Shiho asked, picking up her crépe.

"I'm sure. I'm not all that hungry, anyway." Ren awkwardly dismissed her before taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

"Well, okay... If you're sure... Can't help but feel a little guilty for having so much now..." Shiho mumbled, taking a large bite of her crépe.

"It's only one crépe and a milkshake. Besides, your doctor advised you to keep your blood sugar up, right?" Ren reassured her with a chuckle.

"Yeah... She did... Well, alright then! I might as well enjoy!" Shiho cheered as she took another large bite. Ren just softly laughed at her enthusiasm. Ann couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of her. Things seemed to be going pretty well so far! As she celebrated a small victory, she suddenly heard a growl. She glanced around in confusion until she heard Shiho speak up.

"Was that your stomach?" She asked Ren, tilting her head to the side.

"Uh..." Ren awkwardly stuttered, quickly looking in a different direction.

"See? I knew you were hungry! Here, you can share some of my crépe!" Shiho giggled as she offered her crépe to him.

"Huh?! U-Um..." Ren blushed a bright red and began stuttering a lot more. Ann's smirk grew larger as she watched this. Although, there was something bothering her in the back of her mind... She just couldn't quite remember what it was…

"O-Okay... If you insist..." Ren conceded defeat and slowly leaned over the table. That's when it hit Ann.

'Oh crap, I remember! Ren hates crépes! Why'd I tell them to go to the place that's known for their crépes?!" She grumbled inwardly, slapping her hand onto her forehead. But, she couldn't exactly do anything without letting them know that she was there. So she just sat there and watched as Ren took a bite and tried his hardest not to wince in disgust.

"Thank you, Shiho..." Ren muttered after swallowing the mouthful, pushing up his glasses to hide his face. Shiho just watched him quizzically as he took a desperate sip of his drink. Her eyes widened as the realisation hit her.

"You don't like crépes, do you?" She asked. Ren just frowned awkwardly.

"Why'd you eat it if you don't like it?" Shiho persisted.

"I didn't want to seem rude..." Ren bashfully admitted. Shiho just burst out laughing.

"What?" asked Ren.

"I'm sorry! It's just that you were so cute just then! Like, you pouted like a sad lil puppy just 'cause you ate something you didn't like!" Shiho gasped out in between her giggles. Ren just groaned and hid his face in embarrassment. After finally calming down and taking a sip of her milkshake, Shiho spoke up again.

"What is it about crépes that you don't like?"

"It's nothing much. I just find them way too sickeningly sweet." Ren answered bluntly.

"You do know that there's savoury crépes, right?" Shiho mentioned as she stirred her milkshake with the straw.

"There's what?"

"Yeah, there's savoury crépes. They pretty much taste like burgers." She informed him.

"Huh... I never knew about that..." said Ren with an intrigued expression.

"You wanna try one?" Shiho enquired with a sweet smile.

"Yeah, I might as well! Sounds interesting." Ren eagerly agreed.

"Okay then! Excuse me!" Shiho called out to the nearby waitress.

"Yes? How may I help you, miss?" The waitress politely responded with a smile.

"Could we order a savoury crépe please?" Shiho requested.

"Of course! What fillings would you like?" The waitress replied, pulling out her notebook and pen.

"What fillings are there?" Ren queried.

"Would you like to check the menu?" asked the waitress.

"Yes, thank you." Ren politely answered. The waitress pulled out one of the menus she was carrying and flicked it over to the required page before handing it over to the glasses wearing boy. Ann just breathed a sigh of relief, glad to see the 'date' getting back on track.

"So, did you like the crépe?" Shiho asked with a giggle as the duo left the cafe.

"Yeah, it was really good! You were right, it did taste like a burger. I'll have to try them with different fillings sometime..." Ren replied as he stretched contentedly.

"Yeah, we'll have to let Ann know that you like crépes now." Shiho remarked.

"Oh, Ann would be over the fucking moon to hear that." Ren joked. Shiho burst out laughing and nodded in agreement.

"Hey, do mind if I quickly go to the bathroom? I promise I won't be too long." Ren quickly asked.

"Sure thing, I'll wait right here for you." agreed Shiho.

"Thanks so much!" Ren called as he jogged off towards the men's restroom. Shiho pulled out her phone to entertain herself while she waited. She appeared to be typing something and soon after, Ann's phone pinged. It was a message from Shiho in their group chat.

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** Hey! Hey Ann!]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** Guess what?]

Ann realised that she now had to act like she had no idea what was going on. Luckily for her, it was much easier to act when it was through text.

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** What????]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** Ren likes crepes now!!!]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** WHAT???????]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** REALLY??????]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne: @RenTheHandsomeOne** Is this true????]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne: @RenTheHandsomeOne** Is it?????]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne: @RenTheHandsomeOne** Please say it's true!!!!]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne: @RenTheHandsomeOne** What kind of crepe????]

 **[RenTheHandsomeOne:** I'M TRYING TO PEE LEAVE ME ALONE]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** Whoops...]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** XD You just got told!]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** -3-]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** Anyways, it was a savoury crepe]

 **[ShihoTheCuteOne:** So yeah, now he can eat crepes with us without dying from too much sugar]

 **[AnnThePrettyOne:** Yay!!!]

"Hey cutie, whatcha doing?" A man's voice distracted Ann from the group chat. She looked up to see a guy leaning over Shiho, who was timidly shying away from him.

"I-I'm just waiting for a friend..." She answered quietly, her eyes flicking around nervously.

"Oh yeah? You want me to wait and chat with you?" The man offered, clearly having ulterior motives.

"No, thank you... I'm fine by myself...." Shiho quickly replied, desperate to get away from the stranger.

"Awwwww, c'mon! No need to be so cold! I'm sure we could become great friends!" The man whined, slinging his arm over Shiho's shoulders, who visibly cringed from discomfort.

"That disgusting son of a bitch..." Ann growled to herself. Just as she was about to lunge out from her hiding place and wring the man's neck, Ren appeared behind him and slammed his hand down onto his shoulder.

"Can I help you?" He snarled while staring at the guy with the most terrifying glare Ann had ever seen. The guy flinched and pulled his arm off Shiho.

"I just wanted to see if this adorable girl wanted to have some fun with me." The guy argued.

"Well, she's clearly not interested. So back off, asshole." Ren snapped, gently grabbing Shiho's wrist and positioning her behind him, away from the creep.

"What's your deal?! If I wanna flirt with a girl on the street, I will!" The guy snapped back, clearly irritated with Ren now.

"Well, if you wanna get your foot shoved down your throat, go ahead!" Ren threatened him with a sweet yet frightening smile. The guy froze before turning around and stomping off. As soon as the man disappeared from sight, Ren's face softened and he turned to face Shiho.

"Are you alright? He didn't do anything to you, did he?" He asked worriedly, checking for any possible injuries.

"I-I'm fine... No... All he did was put his arm round my shoulders..." Shiho explained, still shaken up. Ren let out a long, relieved sigh.

"Y'know Shiho, there's no need to be polite to jackasses like that. Next time someone tries to force themself onto you, tell 'em to fuck off. And if they keep bothering you, threaten to call the police." He instructed her with a serious face.

"R-Right... Thank you, Ren." Shiho nodded, staring down at the floor. Ren lifted his glasses and let out a tired sigh.

"M-Maybe we should end things for today..." He suggested.

"Yeah... That's probably for the best..." Shiho agreed.

"Want me to walk you home?" Ren offered, wanting to keep Shiho safe.

"That'd be great. Thank you, Ren" Shiho took him up on his offer with a grateful smile. Ren just smiled back and gestured for her to go first. Ann let out the breath she had been holding in. She was so glad that Ren had appeared when he did.

'I'll definitely have to do something to thank Ren at some point' She thought to herself as she rested her hand on her chest, her heart still pounding anxiously.

Ann continued to tail her two raven haired friends as they slowly wandered through Station Square. Ren was diligently keeping an eye on Shiho, making sure she was staying safe.

"Ngh..." Shiho quietly groaned as she came to a halt, gritting her teeth.

"Is something wrong?" asked Ren, concern plastered on his face.

"My knee's just giving me trouble... That's all..." Shiho explained, clutching her leg. Ren helped her over to a nearby bench to let her rest her leg.

"Do you have any painkillers on you?" Ren enquired.

"No... I left them at home 'cause I didn't think I'd need them..." Shiho admitted, looking down at the floor in embarrassment.

"Do you think you'd be able to walk on it?" Ren asked with a serious tone.

"No..." answered Shiho, wincing at the pain again. Ren frowned as he tried to come up with a plan. Ann worriedly watched them from a distance.

'Maybe I should stop hiding and help them...' She pondered, worried about Shiho's leg. The pigtailed girl couldn't help but grimace as she remembered the state Shiho's leg was in after that incident. A sudden determined huff from Ren pulled her out of those thoughts.

"I'll carry you." He stated as he crouched down in front of Shiho, positioning his arms behind his back.

"H-Huh?!" Shiho squealed, flushing a bright red.

"You need to get home so you can take your painkillers, but you can't walk back, right? I'll carry you." Ren repeated bluntly.

"W-Well yeah... But, I mean, well, are you sure?" Shiho stammered in shock.

"I'm sure."

Shiho's face continued turning even brighter shades of red before she finally muttered and quiet 'okay' and wrapped her arms around Ren's neck and shoulder, pulling herself onto his back. Ren carefully slid his arms underneath her knees. After making sure that he supporting her weight properly, the glasses wearing boy slowly stood up.

"So, where do you live?" Ren asked as he carefully walked over to the train station.

"Ikebukuro." Shiho informed him.

"Okay... Well, we'll be on the train for a while, so at least you'll get a chance to rest your leg." Ren commented, walking towards their required platform.

"That's true..." Shiho shyly mumbled in reply.

Ann followed close behind, squealing excitedly to herself at the adorable sight in front of her.

'This is going even better than I had planned!'

"This is it." Shiho told Ren as he walked past a small house.

"This one?" He asked for confirmation.

"This one." Shiho confirmed for him.

Ren carefully crouched down and placed Shiho back on the group. She quickly hopped over to the wall and leaned against it to keep her balance.

"Well, it was a shame that Ann couldn't come, but I had a lot of fun today." Ren light-heartedly spoke.

"Yeah, me too. Thanks so much for all your help, too." Shiho replied sweetly.

"No problem. It was my pleasure." Ren politely responded. An awkward silence over the two as they tried and failed to think of anything to say.

"W-Well, I should... I should probably get going now." Ren clumsily spoke up, pointing behind him, towards the train station.

"I suppose so." Shiho stiffly agreed. The two awkwardly stood there yet again.

"So, uh... Yeah. Bye?" Ren mumbled with a confused smile. Shiho stared at him thoughtfully for a few seconds before stepping forward, lifting herself on her tiptoes and giving Ren a soft peck on the cheek. Ren instantly turned different shades of red.

"Thank you, Ren." She said with a sweet smile on her face.

"I-I like you." Ren nervously blurted out. Shiho stared at his in surprise while Ren's eyes widened as he realised what he had just said.

"Oh god, why did I say that?! Just ignore that, I didn't say anything, pay no mind, you never heard that!" He stuttered in a shy panic, hiding his face behind his hands and trying to walk away. However, he stopped dead in his tracks as Shiho began to laugh with the brightest, bubbliest laugh he had ever heard.

"I like you too!" She told him with a huge grin. Ren stared at her in disbelief, his cheeks still bright red.

"...You do?"

"Mm-hm!"

"...Really?"

"Yep!"

"...Seriously?"

"Yes!" Shiho started laughing again at the dumbfounded look on Ren's face. The glasses wearing boy began awkwardly laughing along with her.

"S-So, um... Does... Uh, does this mean we're... A thing now?" Ren asked clumsily.

"I would guess so?" Shiho answered, a little confused herself.

"Huh... I never really thought it would happen like this." Ren muttered.

"Neither did I." Shiho replied. The two looked at each other with shy smiles before carefully hugging each other. Shiho contentedly nuzzled her face into Ren's chest as he smiled softly at her and stroked her hair.

Ann, who was hiding behind a nearby bush, grinned estactically as she pulled her phone and snapped a quick photo of the hug. She frantically scrolled through her list of group chats, wanting to add Shiho to their casual chat.

[ **Phantom Thieves:** ]

 **[Panther** has added **Shiho Suzui** to the chat]

 **[Panther** sent an image]

 **[Panther:** Congrats to the brand new couple!!!!]

 **[Panther:** My plan was a total success!!!!]

 **[Skull:** Holy shit, really?!?!?!]

 **[Skull:** That's awesome!!!!!!]

 **[Skull:** Congrats, guys!!!]

 **[Noir:** How lovely!]

 **[Noir:** You two look adorable together!]

 **[Oracle:** Wow really??? I honestly thought Ren would be forever alone]

 **[Oracle:** Y'know, like Ryuji.]

 **[Skull:** Shaddup!]

 **[Joker:** ANN WTF]

 **[Fox:** Congratulations, Ren.]

 **[Shiho:** Wait, Ann, I thought you said you were ill???]

 **[Shiho:** Are you closeby???]

 **[Skull:** Wait... Hang on…]

 **[Queen:** While I am extremely happy for the two of you]

 **[Skull:** Ann uh]

 **[Queen:** Ann, you are aware which group chat this is, correct?]

 **[Skull:** You might wanna check the chat name…]

 **[Panther:** ]

 **[Fox:** Oh my…]

 **[Panther:** SHIT]

 **[Panther:** WRONG CHAT]

 **[Oracle:** ANN, ARE YOU SERIOUS?????]

 **[Joker:** Omfg…]

 **[Noir:** Oh dear!]

 **[Shiho:** Wait]

 **[Shiho:** A]

 **[Shiho:** Are my best friend and boyfriend Phantom Thieves?]

 **[Skull:** Uhhh no]

 **[Joker:** adggzdxxhhxhfy]

 **[Shiho:** That's incredible!]

 **[Queen:** I'm sorry?]

 **[Fox:** You're okay with this?]

 **[Noir:** You're not going to report us?]

 **[Shiho:** No! Of course not!]

 **[Shiho:** The whole thing with Kamoshida and the Phantom Thieves makes so much more sense now!!!]

 **[Skull:** We gotta beat the shit outta his shadow!!!]

 **[Queen:** A shadow is basically a personification of the person's deepest desires.]

 **[Oracle:** Although, they're pretty much the same as the actual person.]

 **[Noir:** The shadow's tend to be a lot more open about their horrible deeds, though.]

 **[Shiho:** Luckkyyyy…]

 **[Shiho:** I wish I could have beat him up too…]

 **[Oracle:** ADGSEGDJRGXRYCJGF]

 **[Fox:** So, I'm guessing that we have a new collaborator?]

 **[Queen:** It would seem so.]

 **[Noir:** Then she needs a code name!]

 **[Panther** has changed **Shiho's** nickname to **Angel]**

 **[Angel:** Awwwww!]

 **[Fox:** How artistic]

 **[Noir:** Cute!]

 **[Skull:** Fits you perfectly!]

 **[Joker:** Ann, is that you in a fucking bush?]

 **[Panther:** No!]

 **[Angel:** It clearly is]

 **[Panther:** No, it's not!]

 **[Queen:** Ann…]

 **[Oracle:** Accept your fate.]

 **[Panther:** I did it for them!!!!!]

 **[Skull:** Riiiiiiiiiight]

 **[Angel:** Wait, so who’s who?]

 **[Joker:** It’s probably easier to explain everything in person tbh…]

 **[Panther:** To Leblanc?]

 **[Angel:** To Leblanc!]

 **[Joker:** But, you just got home???]

 **[Angel:** TO LEBLANC!!!]

 **[Skull:** To Leblanc!]

 **[Noir:** To Leblanc!]

 **[Oracle:** To Leblanc!]

 **[Fox:** To Leblanc?]

 **[Queen:** ...To Leblanc.]

 **[Joker:** Well, okay then.]


End file.
